Let me tell you about Robert.
I first met Robert somewhere in the realm of 2009, as I was visiting some friends at another college (besides Hebei University) in Baoding. When I first saw him, he was dressed in a huge baggy black T shirt, camo pants, and what seemed to be a whole lot of hurt and angst (I probably clearly saw all of the hurt and angst because there was so much hurt and angst inside of me at that time too.) Anyway, I talked with him for a little bit (about what I forget) as a bunch of foreigners and Chinese people hung out for an evening on his campus. I don’t remember seeing him any other time after that, but over the years, I learned through friends that he became a Christian and got baptized. Little did I know that I would be seeing a whole new Robert on Halloween night 2013.
During my stay in Washington, as I was farting around on facebook, I viewed through my newsfeed that Robert had made a post. Honestly, I don’t remember how we even became facebook friends, but you know how facebook is, suddenly…you’re friends. Anyway, I saw his post, and before I knew it, I learned that he was in Seattle. I quickly messaged him and we arranged to meet up on Halloween night at the Seattle airport right before my flight. I was thinking to myself, ‘I don’t even know him that well, why am I going to meet him?’ but I knew there had to be a reason I saw his facebook post.
Fast forward to Halloween night. I arrived, met at our meeting spot ( a little café) and I was early so I checked my bag, then headed back to the café. I walk back to the café and find Robert, on his phone, trying to call the number I had called him through Skype. ( A+ for trying to reach me by phone) It was just FUN to see someone from China again, even though I honestly didn’t know him very well, and hadn’t seen him for years, but suddenly we were just filled with JOY to see each other. As a very gracious friend, he got me a hot drink and a donut, we set a timer on his phone ( so I wouldn’t miss my flight) and then we just dove into chatting. He told me everything that had happened to him over the years, how he was beginning to get to know God but wasn’t really committing yet, and suddenly, one day, one of his friends heard from God and instructed Robert to “make a decision based on faith” which, Praise God, led him to following Jesus.
He then told me how he went to Shenzhen, China and then to Hong Kong, eventually got baptized, and began looking at schools in America where he could finish his degree. He was even accepted to two schools on the east coast, and was really set on going there, a main reason being most of his American friends live on the east coast, but while he was still in Hong Kong, he was talking with his pastor, who suggested a school in Seattle. To make a long story short, again, God presented Robert the chance to “make a decision based on faith.” So he picked up his stuff, and instead of going to a school he knew a lot about on the east coast with his long-time friends, he took a giant leap of faith and moved to Seattle, to a school he didn’t know much about, and not knowing a single person.
But you know what? His decision based on faith really brought Robert many blessings. He’s only been in America for two months and God got him into to a great community, and Robert just really seems to be enjoying where he’s at. (He’s especially enjoying learning how to order fast food JUST like an American, which I thought was so incredibly funny.)
As I was listening to all of the awesome stories he was telling, I quickly realized that I what I found more incredible than the stories themselves was how much God had changed him in just a few short years. Even though I met him only once (maybe possibly twice, but I honestly forget) that night at the airport I saw before me a totally different person, a young man SO excited about God, it was beyond infectious. There, in that little café, sat no longer a hurt, scared, boy with no hope, but a strong, courageous young man who was telling me how God was teaching him how to make wise decisions, how God was blessing him again and again and again and….again. I was beyond captivated, and every time Robert described his journey with God as, “ROCK AND ROLL!” my heart stepped up to a whole new level of excitement.
The timer went off, but we still kept talking, and finally we prayed for each other. I “dialed” ( started the prayer) and Robert “hung up” (ended the prayer) and it was just …plain… awesome. We were speaking Truth into each other’s lives and asking God for Him to move in big ways, and Robert even prayed for me a little bit in Mandarin (which was so nice to hear again, especially prayer.) It brought a smile to my face as I realized how God had arranged our meeting and reunion at EXACTLY the right time. I never would have guessed that back in 2009 I’d meet a young man from China, and then see Him again a few years later in an airport, full of JOY and LIFE but God KNEW that. Just another great reminder of how humorous our Creator is.
I’m hoping to have more stories like this. I’m hoping to meet more people all around the world as I do the Race, and then wait on God for incredible reunions, and then blog ( or maybe even write a book) about them. In order to go and stay on the race, I need to raise $16,285. Thanks to God, I’ve already accrued over $7,000, but I still need about $9,000 to be fully funded. I have an incredible dream to be fully funded by January 15, 2014, my birthday. If you’d like to help make that dream come true, you can donate to my World Race account (donating with a credit card) by clicking the ::GIVE:: link on the left. Or you can sponsor a child for a year with Food for the Hungry (look at the link on the left) and Adventures in Missions, the organization that is sponsoring the World Race, will donate $50 to my World Race account.
Thanks for reading, faithful readers! Til next time….
